Home > Consumer Reviews > Apple iBook Laptop 14.1" M9165LL/A (1Ghz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 60 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive)

Ok, I know you have read time and again about making "the Switch" to which most just shake their heads. Me I'm sold! I got the ibook over the powerbook due to the fact that 1) I am not a graphic designer, 2) the battery life, 3) the price, and 4) I didn't like squinting at the 12" screen. The battery life on the 14" is awesome! It is pretty true to the advertising of 6 hrs, even if you are running airport extreem and playing itoons as you surf the web as I am right now. The battery life dipps a little when you are watching DVDs, or playing a game, but then again that's because you are crunching some serious graphical goodness due to the ati card. Over all, I say it's a great buy for the money! I will recommend to everyone to max out the ram though, a must with OSX. If you are looking for a great laptop that just works and runs forever GET THIS ibook.

Although Apple markets this laptop as though it's an entry level laptop for casual users, I can tell you that from my experience it's plenty powerful enough for the road warrior as well. Unless you have money to burn or some very good reason to go for the Powerbook, I suggest you save $1,000 and buy the iBook. The only downside to ordering from Amazon is that you can't get one with the internal Bluetooth module. This was an issue for me because I have a Bluetooth enabled phone and mouse, so I ordered direct from Apple.

The 1 GHz processor and maximum RAM provide lightening fast boot-up and application loading. Add the Airport Extreme card and you can surf the web from hotspots all over the country.

I've been using PCs and Macs since the "early days" (we all know what that means). I'm still buying PCs (Intel/AMD/etc and Windows based) and Macintosh. I bought my latest PC about a year and a half ago with XP on it. Not a bad OS, but still windows if you get my drift. My last Mac was a Lime 233 iMac and a Tangerine 300 iBook with Airport. I've used OS9 and OS X on both of the older Macs and while it's neat, it's just too slow. So this time around I decided I'd pick up a new notebook. Shopped around for some sort of windows based one. Then started reading about the iBook G4. Checked them out locally and was sold on the 12" iBook G4. It's a beautiful, tiny machine. There in lies my problem. Even thought the 12" is 1024x768 (i.e. same info on the screen as the 14.1"), the stuff on the display was just too small for me to read comfortably because of the age of my eyeballs. The 14.1" on the other hand was perfect. Machine is pretty light, display is very bright and overall it's easy and comfortable to use. OSX 3 Panther is included with the machine and let me tell you it rocks. They're really getting OSX slicked out. Networking with PCs and other Macs is a matter of turning on file sharing in System Preferences. The hardware is fast, very fast. The computer comes with most everything the average person would need. The suite of 'iApps' and AppleWorks. If you need MS Office, it's available for the Mac (and the Mac version of Office is actually better than the PC version). And to top it all Amazon was the cheapest place I could find on the net or locally to pick up the 1Gig 14.1" iBook! (...). I'm in heaven. Good machine, good OS, great price. Get one, you won't regret it.

I've been using and defending PCs for a long, long time! Ever since I got in front of a computer (about 20 years ago), all I've worked with were PCs. And I stubbornly kept defending PCs and disregarding Macs as thought they were inferior. As of late, however, I've been using UNIX quite a bit and knowing the strengths of all *IX OS's I knew I wanted a *IX compatible laptop. Well, alas! Apple came with Panther and I was sold! I bought this laptop through my university's Apple store and got it "souped-up" and I tell you with confidence that this is the *best* laptop I've ever owned! The weight is lower than most competitors' comparable laptops. The power of Panther is outstanding. I feel confident recommending this laptop to anyone without any reservations. Apple is giving consumers, for the first time, a TRUE alternative to MS Windows' hegemony. Some of you who have been around computers might read the title of this post and giggle for that is what people were saying back in the mid-80s and never became a reality (at least not for the consumer as evidenced by the market share apple holds). But I think with this laptop and Panther Apple has made a believer out of me. Very solid, good-lloking, powerful laptop.

SIMPLER TO USE THAN WINDOWS. LESS TIME TO BOOT. NO VIRUSES BECAUSE IT IS A MAC. EXCELLENT SECURITY FOR DSL AND CABLE CONNECTIONS. FULLY COMPATIABLE WITH MY COMPANY'S WINDOWS NT ENVIRONMENT. SUPERB GRAPHICS. ADD WINDOWS FOR OFFICE AND YOU GET WORD, EXCEL, AND POWERPOINT SO YOU CAN SEND DOCS OUT TO THOSE ON WINDOWS. QUITE SIMPLY A BETTER PRODUCT THAN ANY NOTEBOOK ON THE MARKET AT ITS PRICE WHETHER YOU TAKE THE 12 INCH OR 14 INCH MODEL. AIRPORT EXTREME OPERATES THROUGH MY HOUSE CREATING A WIRELESS ENVIRONMENT FOR MULTI-USERS.